Price indicator



R. J. SLAVSKY PRICE INDICATOR May 26, 1970 Filed June 26, 1968 2 Sheets-Sheet l a m I w w M II: x n O 0 W m0 6 n 4 I.. I m 4 H 3 I M\/ I 2 H 6 n W Q m I u 2 n I I I .0 II W |I|I n Io M y Q I I IhwI I II I I. I I I I I -I I II INVENTQR ROBERT J. SLAVSKY BYQAQII MM, @m

ATTORNEYS R. J. SLAVSKY PRICE INDICATOR May 26, 1970 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 26, 1968 M L M, 2 1M 0? 3 1 5 i L v o M 1W. 5 4% w M 6 Q 24 FIG? FIGB ROBERT J. SLAVSKY BY 6 i" ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,513,578 PRICE INDICATOR Robert J. Slavsky, Lathrop Village, Mich., assignor to Shaw & Slavsky, Inc., Detroit, Mich. Filed June 26, 1968, Ser. No. 740,258 Int. Cl. G09f 11/26 U.S. Cl. 40-96 3 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A price indicator comprising a foldable blank, folded into a truncated triangular tube having open ends and upright front and rear walls with the front walls having display openings behind which are and may be moved endless digit bearing pricing rolls or strips.

GENERAL DESCRIPTION The present invention provides an attractive yet inexpensive and somewhat permanent price indicator particularly for use with large size and substantially price items on sale in the department store such as appliances of the nature of refrigerators, washing machines, ranges, dryers and the like, replacing the presently used small size cards or easels upon which prices and advertising material are printed by hand or permanently by printing apparatus.

THE DRAWINGS The invention will best be understood upon reference to the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment which refers to the attached drawings.

In these drawings:

FIG. 1 shows a blank from which the indicator is formed.

FIG. 1a shows a magnetic clip for mounting the in-- DETAILED DESCRIPTION FIG. 2 shows an indicator comprising a body 10 and two end portions 12 and 14.

The body portion is formed from a folded blank, as shown in FIG. 1, and thus has an upright flange 18, a 'base 20, a front wall 22, a top 23, and a rear wall 24. The blank may be folded into a tube of polygonal cross-section, (FIG. 6) the truncated triangular cross-section shown being preferred, to provide open ends and the sloping upright front and rear walls 22 and 24, top 23, and base 20.

The front wall 22 (FIG. 1) has display openings behind which is secured a plastic shield 31 having slits providing guides 32 slidably receiving and guiding the digit bearing strips 34 as they are moved manually within the indicator to display selected digits through the transparent plastic shield 31 and openings 30 in the front wall of the indicator.

The indicator also includes easily removable and inserta-ble set-in enclosure pieces 12 and 14 (FIG. 9), each having a flat body portion of the shape of the open end of the indicator, truncated triangular in this case, and

3,513,578 Patented May 26, 1970 inwardly projecting upper and lower tabs 42-44 for cooperative releasable locking with slit tabs 45 in the upper and lower walls of the indicator. Holes 46 receiving pull out tools, such as pencils or hooked wires, enable removal of the end pieces 12-14.

For strengthening the walls, the upright edges of the front and rear sections are flanged outwardly as shown at 50 in FIG. 5. Separable headed rivets 52 (FIG. 6) secure the flange 18 of the base 20 to the lower edge of the rear wall 24. Tabs 54 on the front wall 22 at its lower edge, and rivets 52 secure overlay panels in place on walls 12 and 14, in flanges 50.

The price indicator hereof, particularly when the material is a plastic coated cardboard of considerable durability, provides an inexpensive, easily manipulable, easily variable, semi-permanent and attractive price indicator of suflicient stability and size to be placed on an appliance priced by the indicator and retaining itself in attractive condition because of the glossy plastic finish, extremely simple to assemble, disassemble for storage, inexpensive enough to be discarded without great loss when the time comes to discard it, and easy enough to assemble when desired and easy to manipulate through the open ends of the indicator for shifting the pricing strips 34 and easily closed at such open ends so as to protect and prevent shifting of the pricing strips.

The locking tabs 4244 on the end pieces lock the end closures in place once these are inserted in the indicator and thus protect the pricing strips 34 from being manipulated or shifted carelessly or mischievously. Also, for the same general purpose, the transparent adhesively secured shield 31 covers the front wall openings 30 and prevents access through these openings to the pricing strips 34 behind the guides and the openings.

On the front wall space 60 is provided for a removable peel-off sticker on which is indicated the total price on payments, as required by law, also required are the indications of cash price, payment per month, number of months to pay, and these indications are provided by the strips 34.

The plastic finish, while protecting the device, also is such as not to mar an enamel finish appliance on which it may be rested.

Holes 62 in the rear wall detachably receive a magnetic plate 63 having clips 64 (FIG. 1a) enabling the device to be mounted easily on a ferrous metal vertical surface.

End pieces 12-14 cannot be easily removed, except by a person who is aware of the utility of pencil receiving holes 46.

Flanges 50 not only reinforce walls 22-24 but also provide guides for receiving overlay panels, not shown, which may be laid over walls 22-24, and whose lower edges will be supported by the heads of rivets 52 and by the tabs 54.

Not only is body 10 formed as a flat blank, scored on lines 65, for convenience in shipping and storing, but also strips 34 are flat strips, whose ends may be intersecured by separable rivets 68 to form endless rolls, as shown.

These rolls may be printed on one or both sides, as desired; using upper or lower case, or both, digits, as desired; and may be made wide or narrow, as desired; and are imprinted with guide lines 72 for lining up the digits properly to the windows 30.

These windows 30 are shielded by shield 31 to prevent access to rolls behind shield 31. End pieces 12-14 are inset into the device, and are thus protected by the front and rear walls.

Now having described the device herein disclosed, reference should be had to the claims which follow.

What I claim is:

1. A price indicator comprising a blank of foldable material, folded into a tube of polygonal cross-section and having open ends and upright front and rear walls and a base wall;

with the front wall having a display opening;

an endless digit bearing strip slidably mounted on the front Wall in line with said opening and manipulable through the open ends of the indicator for selectively presenting digits to the opening;

and a pair of spaced guides straddling said display opening for supporting and guiding the endless digit bearing strip for adjustable sliding movement relative to the opening and for holding a section of the strip adjacent to said opening.

2. A price indicator according to claim 1 wherein at least the front wall slopes.

3. A price indicator according to claim 1 including easily removable and nisertable end closure pieces, each having a fiat body portion of the shape of the open end of the indicator, and inwardly projecting locking tabs.

References Cited FOREIGN PATENTS 9/1952 Germany. 4/1957 Germany.

EUGENE R. CAPOZIO, Primary Examiner 15 L. R. OREMLAND, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 

